Discovery BoxGenesis 29:13-16 
Context29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob 1 told Laban how he was related to him. 2 29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” 3 So Jacob 4 stayed with him for a month. 5
29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work 6 for me for nothing because you are my relative? 7 Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; 8 the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel.
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).
3 tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).
4 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “a month of days.”
6 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
7 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
8 tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.
